"You deserve it!" - Harvard's case study on Francis Ngannou's post-UFC success sparks fan reactions

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is widely recognized as not only one of the best fighters on the planet but also one of the few to see his success increase since leaving the promotion.

‘The Predator’ famously departed the UFC when his contract ended early last year and then signed a deal with the PFL promotion that would also allow him to compete as a professional boxer.

The unique nature of Ngannou’s career, which has taken him from homelessness to raking in millions of dollars, hasn’t gone unnoticed in the world of academia.

Recently, it was revealed that a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School named Anita Elberse had written and published a case study on the journey of ‘The Predator’.

Ngannou has since posted a link to the case study on his X account, and understandably, his fans have been quick to congratulate him on this. User @msnasalady stated that she was glad the native of Cameroon had left the UFC.

Other fans commented:

“This is really cool”

“Congratulations Champ!”

“What a story. @francis_ngannou remarkable achievement through determination.”

“Pride of Africa”

“The result of a high level resilience”

“Francis is just taking W after W now”

“You’re smashing everything on your way my bro, I believe you, more to come it’s just the beginning”

Interestingly, though, one user paid tribute to the UFC and Dana White for “affording (Ngannou) the opportunity to showcase his potential”.

“Thank you @ufc and @danawhite for affording this man the opportunity to showcase his potential and cross over to the other side. After all, there are millions of talented strong self-driven sports enthusiasts that don’t get the opportunity to shine and make the most out of it.”

View a collage of fan comments discussing the recent Harvard case study on Francis Ngannou below:

Fans on X comment on Francis Ngannou's recent case study

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Francis Ngannou Harvard case study: When is ‘The Predator’ next set for action?

Francis Ngannou’s career has inspired a Harvard case study, but when is the former UFC heavyweight champion set to fight next?

The last time fans saw him in action was in his highly-touted boxing match with WBC kingpin Tyson Fury. Ngannou lost the bout via controversial split decision.

While some fans expected ‘The Predator’ to return to MMA next, instead, he looks set to face off with former unified heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua in another big-time boxing bout.

The fight is set to take place in Riyadh on March 8, with the event being dubbed ‘Knockout Chaos’.